Alone in the Woods
by Manda-chan
Summary: Oh no! What's this? Tomoyo bailed on Sakura to spend time with Eriol?! Now who will go camping with her? Syaoran, of course! But two weeks ALONE in the woods? Can they handle it? Will they find adventure,? Danger?...Will they find love? You want
1. Default Chapter

Konnichiwa Minna-san!I had an idea for another series fic, so I decided to at least give the thought a try.Let me know if you like it, and I'll continue.If you don't like it, let me know that too, so I can quit while I'm ahead.Anyway, Sakura and Syaoran are about sixteen in this fic.The plot will develop as you go along.However, this is just a prologue to test my idea.You need to let me know if I should continue or not, so please review if the time can be spared!Arigato Minna-san! ~Manda-chan  
  
**Alone in the Woods: Prologue  
**  
It was a bright and sunny July afternoon in the town of Tomeda.Now that school had been out for quite some time, children were scattered amongst the streets and the park, busily playing childish games with one another.The sun shone down like the merciless burning ball of heat it was, scorching the peoples' skin.But there was some relief to be found in the gentle breeze that rolled by.The more logical types sat underneath the comforting shade of the tall trees, reading books or sketching while also shielding themselves from the unforgiving heat.  
Wouldn't everyone be out enjoying what the summer had to give today?  
No, not everyone.Sakura Kinomoto, chosen Mistress of the Clow Cards, was in her room, leaning her back against the glass that separated her from summer paradise.Her expression was melancholy, as though the sun wasn't shining at all.  
"I can't believe she bailed out on me!" Sakura wailed, sliding down to sit on the white ledge of the windowsill, "And to make things worse, it was just to spend time with Eriol-kun."  
Sakura fought back the sudden wave of anger welling up inside of her and recalled the conversation she had with Tomoyo just moments ago.~  
*Flashback*  
"Just two more days, Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura burst excitedly into the receiver.  
"Two more days until what?" Tomoyo asked, seeming to be confused.  
"Until we go camping together, remember?Just me and you, out in the woods for two weeks!It's going to be so much fun!"  
"Oh my!Gomen, Sakura-chan!I forgot!" Tomoyo apologized.  
"That's okay, Tomoyo-chan, we still have another day to get everything ready." Sakura assured.  
"Demo, Sakura-chan...I can't go." Tomoyo said softly, regret present in her voice.  
"Nani?"  
"I'm going to spend the week at Eriol's place in England." she explained, biting her lower lip, "I forgot that I had already promised to go camping with you, gomen."  
"So...you're not coming..." Sakura realized, "because you're going to England."  
"Gomen, Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo apologized, "The flight arrangements have already been made, there's nothing I can do to change it now."  
"It's alright..." Sakura spoke sadly, "I'll just see if I can find someone else then."  
"Gomen again, Sakura-chan.I'll come with you next time.Be sure to call me when you find someone to take my place, alright?"  
"Sure thing, Tomoyo-chan.Ja."  
"Ja ne, Sakura-chan, good luck."  
*Click*  
*End Flashback*  
After the phone call, Sakura had called up her other friends, Rika, Chiharu, and Naoko, but with no luck.They were either out of town or busy.  
Now Sakura felt alone.She wasn't too keen on the idea of going camping by herself, but it certainly beat hanging around the empty house.Her Otousan was off on a business trip about some newfound artifacts in India, and her Ni-chan was gone with Yukito somewhere for the summer.All that left, was her and the vacant house.  
She picked up her pink cell phone and sighed, trying to rack her brain for someone she knew that might be free to go camping with her.But all her mind drew was a blank.Everyone she knew was busy, Tomoyo had made other plans, and...wait a minute, what was Syaoran up to?She almost slapped herself in the head.'How could I forget about Syaoran?'  
She opened the cell phone and just stared at it.What was she thinking?She and Syaoran were sort of friends, but they didn't really know each other that well.Then again, this would be a good opportunity to get to know him better.But would this be a mistake?Would he blow her off like Tomoyo did?Was he even home?Only one way to find out.  
Taking a deep breath, she punched in the telephone code of Syaoran's number.After the seventh ring, she was about to hang up.'He must not be home.' she thought sadly, a pit forming inside her.  
But just then, someone on the other line picked up.  
"Moshi Moshi, this is Li Syaoran speaking."  
Sakura felt her heartbeat increase rapidly as she replied, "Hello?Syaoran?"  
Syaoran almost dropped the phone."Sakura!?"He quickly regained his composure and lowered the volume of his voice."What is it?Is there a problem?"  
Sakura bit her lip and gazed nervously at her polished wooden floor."I-It's not really a problem." she stammered.  
"Something I can help with?" he asked hopefully.  
"Uh...maybe."  
"Maybe?"  
"Are you...Are you busy in the next two weeks?" she questioned, crossing her fingers as she waited patiently for his answer.  
"No.Any particular reason?"  
"Wouldyouliketogocampingwithmeinthewoods?" she blurted at a mile-a-minute.  
Syaoran was confused."I'm sorry, I didn't catch that.Could you repeat it?"  
Sakura took a deep breath, trying to calm her heartbeat down so she could speak more clearly."I was planning on going camping with Tomoyo for two weeks, but she forgot and made plans with Eriol-kun in England.After she had canceled, I called some of the other girls, but they were busy too." Sakura explained, "Since Toya and Otousan are out, I didn't have anyone left to go with."She took another long breath before continuing."So, I'm asking if you would like to go camping with me in the woods for a couple weeks."  
"..."  
"If you're not busy, that is." she amended.  
She leaned the phone against her head and shoulder, crossing both fingers and holding her breath.  
Syaoran would definitely think this over.It was no secret that he liked Sakura (at least, to everyone BUT Sakura anyway).Besides, she didn't seem to have anyone else to go with, and he certainly didn't want her to go on her own.The more he thought about it, the more logical and opportune it became.  
'Maybe over the course of two weeks I could finally tell her what I've been meaning to since fourth grade.' he thought, 'And it will give me an excellent chance to get to know her a lot better too.'  
He could just imagine walking through the woods with his cherry blossom, talking and laughing away, ALONE out in the wilderness.No Meilin, No Toya, No Hiiragizawa, No Daidouji with the annoying video camera... This was tempting to the Chinese youth, VERY tempting.  
Sakura was practically turning blue from the lack of oxygen.She had been holding her breath for awhile now, the other end of the connection still silent.If she had to wait any longer, her eyes might pop out.  
"Sounds like fun."  
Sakura let out her breath and slid to the cool wooden floor, a cheerful grin spreading across her face."Really, you'll come?" she asked, amazed.  
"Hai, I need to get out of this stuffy apartment."  
"ARIGATO SYAORAN-KUN!!!" Sakura burst, unable to hide her relief and excitement, "This is going to be such a blast!"  
.......To Be Continued???????  
  
That's my prologue. Please tell me what you think if you'd be kind enough to review.I'd like to know if you think I should continue the story or not.It's all up to you. ^^Arigato for reading, I hope you enjoyed it! ~Manda-chan


	2. Nature's Song

Konnichiwa Minna-san! Oh Kami-sama! ARIGATO FOR THE REVIEWS!!! ^.^ *hugs all reviewers* You guys really gave me the motivation to get good n'busy on this fic ^^ I wasn't sure if the idea was very good, but you all assured me that it's definitely worth writing. God, I can't thank all of you enough! *cries* You're so kind! Gomen, I don't want to get too sentimental, or it might rub off on the fic ^^; 

Special undying thanks to: DoubleOevin~*, Priya Palaparthi, Curli curli, Ruka-chan, Rik, Krissie, Rei, Windy, Kya, Eli, Jackie, sox, Sakura Li, dersert_rose11, Monica, dreamyblue, Lera, Kiseki, ~*Kokimiyoi*~, XlittlewolfX, flag on the moon, CHiNGuS189, setsuna, SAkurA, soil, anime lover, Kloud, caitlin, ~*~Cutie Blossom~*~, Empress Sarah-sama, Drak, Teardrop, Spiffy, Klre, April, Ashely-chan, Jurei (thanks for the e-mail too!^^), Anny, *Lynnie*QRW*, Cherry blossom, S+S, E.B., Sakura1301, Mizzkitty9886, LittlePet, *~Baby Blue~*, *Lynnie*QRW* (twice?), ~*~Starlight Princess ~*~, MORE!!!!!!!!!!, Bunny, lep99, obiwankatie, beth, troulp, magic key, Gia, sana, katgal94, and young listriker951. ARIGATO GOZIMASU!!!

Here's chapter 1 for your enjoyment! Please DO continue to review, I love feedback! It gives me the motivation and purpose to write, write, WRITE!! ^.^ 

Disclaimer: CCS and all its characters don't belong to me. HA! Now you can't sue me, so have a raspberry! :p 

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Alone in the Woods Chapter 1: Nature's Song

Kinomoto Sakura, the world's most powerful young sorceress, could hardly contain her bubbling excitement. She had just finished her conversation with Chinese future Li Clan leader, Li Syaoran. Needless to say, it went quite well; a lot better than she originally thought it would. 

She was doubtful at first, that he would even listen to what she had to say. But she was wrong to think of him that way. She may not have known him well, but she knew Syaoran would never do something like that. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, she knew what a kind and caring person he really was. It showed in the deepest reaches of his liquid-amber eyes. 

And now... 

The auburn-haired Card Mistress didn't even bother to fight her sudden urge that swelled through her. She stood up and screamed about as loud as she could, "OH MY GOD! I'M GOING TO SPEND TWO WEEKS CAMPING WITH SYAORAN!" 

On a normal basis she wouldn't yell like that, but going out camping ALONE with your secret crush didn't happen everyday of the week. That was something incredibly special, something worth screaming for. Besides, with the house being empty of people and guardianless, there was no one to hear or reprimand her. 

With a blissful, contented sigh, she flopped onto her bed, snatching a fluffy feather-filled cushion in the process. She shut her eyes tightly, hugging the bubblegum-pink cased pillow close to her. Pure, electrifying anticipation coursed through every inch of her body. She couldn't wait for tomorrow. 

Her excitement was much like that of a young child waiting impatiently on Christmas Eve for the coming of Santa. It was unbearable; knowing what was coming soon, yet not knowing what was going to happen. She was almost positively going to have a rough time falling asleep this evening. Perhaps the dreams of possibilities and hidden confessions could lull her into a promising dormant state. Or make things even worse. 

Whatever the case, tomorrow would come, that much was inevitable. 'But the possibilities...oh kami, the possibilities...' 

Would she tell him? Could she scrounge up enough courage to confess the deepest secrets she held inside her aching heart? 

She billowed that particular question back and forth through her mind constantly, like a ball that wasn't sure which way to roll. First would come the advantages and burden-lifting of spilling her heart to him, but then those thoughts would slowly disappear one-by-one, bringing out the downsides and terrible whispers of rejection. Back and forth, back and forth, like the rolling ball or a ship on raging waters. 

Sometime, somehow, she had to get that circular object to stay on one side. Perhaps spending this quality time with Syaoran could make the decision. She could only hope for now. 

Letting out a perpetually large yawn, she sluggishly made her way to the bathroom, leaving all her previous conflicting thoughts to perish for now. Instead, she could dream of the fortuitous chance of Syaoran returning her undeniable, undeclared love for him. 'There's nothing wrong with engaging in wishful dreams.' she thought, emersing herself beneath the friendly consolation of the warm bedsheets.~ 

******************************************************

The bilious, stoically-faced young swordsman laid wide-awake upon his bed mattress, avidly and impatiently ticking off the seconds on his wall clock in expectation of the day to come. 

The so-called 'Little wolf' hated waiting. Even more so now that it pertained to his object of unrequited affinity and plaintive, undying love. 

He would have never expected that kind of phone call from the lovely Card Mistress in a million years. At first, he thought his mind had been playing cruel games with him, teasing him with the haunting, melodical voice he so adored. 

But from the moment he felt that calm, allaying presence of her soft pink aura flowing and radiating through the thin phone line, he knew it was really her. However, his currently baffled mind could only come up with one reason for her to contact him: Clow Card. Why would she call unless something was wrong? 

He would have been able to answer that if her next question hadn't been so abstruse and rushed. He could barely capture a single word that left her mouth. Politely requesting her to repeat, he was indeed stunned (to say the least). 

If those hearing instruments on either side of his head had seized her speech correctly, she had just seriously invited him to join her camping for a couple weeks. 

His heart leapt with rapture at that moment! If there were anything at all wrong with his ears (or whatever else for that matter) the Clan would have informed him long ago. 

What he heard was the truth; not an aloof dream, but the real thing. It even came as a package deal. Not only would he get to spend two blissful weeks with an out-of-this-world living goddess, he would get the added bonus of being left with ONLY her, no annoying 'paparazzi girl' or agitative, obsessive cousin, and ontop of that, the fiery brother would also be absent. Hiiragizawa Eriol wouldn't be showing his sickeningly sinister smile either, nor the furry, stuffed cake-loving guardian who went along with Daidouji to tour England. Just him and the gentle cherry blossom. 

Life was good.~ 

******************************************************

As golden sundrops filtered through the transparent glass and spilled out over the bed like a river, the heavy eyelids of the once-asleep Kinomoto Sakura slowly opened, revealing slits of the tired, spring green orbs beneath. She blinked, still shaking dreamy illusions away from her mind's eye. 

Abruptly recalling previous happenings from the day before, the eyes widened more broadly. She wasn't accustomed to waking so early (and actually following through by getting up), but there was a little more adrenaline pumping through her today. And she could only thank one person for that. 

Li Syaoran. 

There was almost nothing in the expanse of the universe that could ever motivate her to rise before noon if she didn't have to, aside from the handsome Chinese Card Captor. He had no idea what a remarkable affect and power he held over her. She would probably run all the way around the world if he asked her to. Maybe over the next few days he would finally know just how much he meant to her. 

With an alarming amount of energy, the auburn-haired girl hopped out of her bedsheets and sped to the bathroom. A quick cold shower was all it took to fully awaken all her senses. After dressing appropriately for the hot, humid weather, she finished her last touchups and checks on the items she had carefully packed the night before. 

"All set!" she spoke aloud, dusting her hands in an approving gesture, "Now I just need to wait for-" 

*DIIIIINNNNGGG DOOOONNNNGGGG* 

Dismissing the rest of her sentence, she rolled her eyes with a smile. 'I wonder who that could be...' 

Sakura sprinted out of her room at top speed and tromped down the stairway in a very un-ladylike way. There was no use pretending to act sophisticated in front of Syaoran, he must have a least known what a disorganized person she was. Not at all who you'd expect to have a lot of prissy princess-like manners. In addition to that, she was especially eager to see her Chinese warrior friend. 

Flinging the door open and flashing a brilliant smile, Sakura exclaimed, "Ohayo Li-kun!" 

Syaoran almost fell back down the Kinomoto's front steps in sudden surprise, but quickly caught himself before his body struck the concrete. Gaining his balance back, he advanced to the door once again, stopping in front of her. "Jeez...You sure have a lot of volume for someone who got up so early." 

Sakura favored him with a cherry smile. "I'm just sooooooo pumped about going camping with you!" she exulted. 

His honey-amber eyes danced inquisitively. "You are?" 

She flushed lightly and timidly met his eyes, putting her hands behind her. "Yes." 

Her shade of embarrassment darkened when he administered a grin in return. "I'm excited too." he admitted. "Spending a few weeks out in the wild, harmonizing with nature, and spending time with-" He abruptly broke off with a crimson blush, not yet willing to confess any signs of his love for her straightforward. The less she knew of his dotage, the better; at least, that's what he thought. 

Sakura cocked her head at him, blinking repetitively. "Spending time with what?" 

"Uh...S-Spending time with the great outdoors!" he stammered, immediately wincing at how lame and cheesy it sounded. 

"Hoe? I never knew you liked the outdoors so much Li-kun!" 

Syaoran smirked. "There's a truckload of things you don't know about me." 

Emerald eyes grinned back at him. "Then hopefully we'll get better acquainted." 

"I'm for that." he agreed, letting another small smile surface. 

Concealing her newly-surfaced blush, Sakura trotted back into the house, hailing Syaoran to come in with a wave of her hand. "Just wait near the door, I'm be down with my backpack in a minute!" she called, dashing up the oak stairway. 

Syaoran followed her instructions, crossing his arms over his chest as if he was standing guard inside the house. 

In the meantime, Sakura gathered her pack and sleeping bag, being sure that nothing she needed had been abandoned and that all the electric appliances in her room were safely unplugged. With a quick nod of satisfaction, she left the room and descended the flight of wooden stairs. 

She found Syaoran abiding where she'd asked and secretly smiled to herself. He wasn't the type to go snooping around people's homes; he had strict respect for people and property. It was strange to her how someone could be so wholly disciplined; but at the same time it was distinctly attractive. 

Coming nearer to his tall stature, the weighted backpack tilted to one side, throwing her dangerously off-balance. 

"Hooooooooeeeeeeeeeeeee?!?!" 

Before Syaoran could make a move to break the incoming fall, the petite Card Mistress toppled to the polished floor in a messy heap. 

Syaoran approached the fallen female Card Captor with concern. "Are you alright?" he questioned, kneeling alongside her. 

"Hai." she croaked unnaturally, still recovering from her accidental fall, "Daijoubu." 

He chuckled almost imperceptibly. "Not fully awake yet, ne?" 

Sakura got to her knees (with his aid), massaging her forehead delicately. "As Ni-chan always says, 'Kaijuus are clumsy by nature'." she quipped lamely. 

"I disagree." Syaoran stated, grasping Sakura's attention, "You don't look anything like a monster to me." 

The Card Mistress reddened noticeably from his small compliment. 

"I doubt there's any kaijuu that could be nearly as lovely as you." Syaoran continued, finding it amusing how pink in the face she was becoming. 

Sakura looked up at him, a thin grin spreading across her lips. "Alright you sweet-talker you, that's enough." 

The tall male Card Captor shrugged. "I was just trying to get on your good side for the day." 

She punched his the upper part of his shoulder playfully. "Mou! You think I have a bad side?" 

"I guess I'll find out." he replied, earning another flesh impact on his arm. 

Sakura sported a fake smile. "We'd better leave before I decide to use your arm as a personal punching bag." 

"Sounds like a plan." he agreed, walking out the front door. He rubbed his arm with the ball of his thumb. "I don't think my arm can take any more of your harsh abuse." 

"Quit while you're ahead Sy-I mean, Li-kun." 

He lifted an eyebrow to where she stumbled in the sentence, mulling over the meaning in his thoughts. 'Did she almost call me Syaoran?' he wondered, his eyes traveling over her face for some sort of clue to prove his theory. 

His thoughts ceased when the large white door closed with a dull thump. 

"Everything is taken care of." Sakura announced, locking the cool, steel gate as they passed ahead of it. 

Syaoran looked ahead, adjusting his backpack to fit more soothingly and comfortably on his shoulders. "Then on to the forest."~ 

******************************************************

The promenade to their destination was quiet. Considering how talkative they were earlier, one would have expected the cool morning air to be filled with their chatter. 

But it wasn't. Each seemed equally emersed in their surroundings, awed by all the plant and animal life that filled the forested area. The brisk wind floated through the trees with a silent purpose, causing the dew-tipped leaves to brush against one another, thus creating music of nature. Chirping birds were strewn everywhere, singing their cheerful songs along with the swaying trees. 

'Nature is certainly beautiful if you stop and listen.' Sakura thought, letting her eyes close to pay heed to the forest's lovely melody. 

As the gentle song played on, the Card Capting duo pushed on through the thick forested foliage, coming to large clearing. 

It was breathtaking. A crystalline river ran through the open grassy area, rushing its clear waters south toward where the lake was located. A lush abundance of plants sprouted from every which way, ranging from a simple flower to huge berry bushes and richly-fruited treetops. The fresh green grass swam with the wind much like the river was flowing, bringing a sense of peace and serenity to the beautiful clearing. 

Sakura inhaled deeply, taking in the heavy, yet sweet scent that enveloped around her. 'Kami...this is too perfect.' 

Syaoran too breathed the surrounding scent, but caught another smell as well. He was forever familiar with this affably odorous perfume. Luscious cherry blossoms with just a touch of sweet honey. 

Sakura's ever-present scent. 

No offense to nature, but her smell was so much more pleasant and alluring. So attractive and intoxicating that he could hardly contain himself. He had to smile. That smell would always pertain to Sakura; it WAS Sakura. 

"Isn't it wonderful, Li-kun?" the auburn-haired Clow Mistress breathed, still dwelling in the depths of the forest. 

"Hai..." he answered aloofly, still tangled in the wisps of his favorite smell. 

A sudden light tap on his muscled shoulder interposed his wafty daydream. "Li-kun, we ought to set up our camp soon." Sakura suggested. 

He blushed imperceptibly at her honeydew eyes and nodded. "Of course." 

The adept Chinese future Clan leader had his faultless fallout shelter created in no time. As for the young Japanese sorceress…things weren't going so well. 

She was having great adversity completing her task. Trying to keep one part in place, another piece would come loose and she would scramble to fix it while the latter fell apart again. Her fragile figure wasn't as accustomed to complex burdens such as this [Well, they're complex things to Sakura, but probably not to anyone else]. 

Sighing at how disorderly entwined Sakura was in her work, Syaoran decided to alleviate the Clow Mistress of her problem. 

"You look like you could use a little help." Syaoran acknowledged, making a hand gesture toward the untidy pile of fallen branches and leaves. 

"I'm doing fine." Sakura stated tenaciously. 

She stacked a few odd branches and began to arrange them in an incomprehensible pattern. 

"What are you building?" Syaoran asked teasingly, "A fire?" 

"Mou! No! It's not a fire! It's going to be a shelter!" Sakura corrected. 

She stubbornly placed another load of sticks ontop of her "shelter" and the whole thing promptly collapsed in a jumbled mess. Syaoran watched the event as he leaned against a nearby tree, wearing a knowing smirk on his face. 

"I'm still willing to help." 

Sakura glared at him with contempt. "I can do this just as well as you can, Li Syaoran." she snapped. 

Knowing that nothing was going to change in the matter, Syaoran continued to lean against the tall birch, observing. Her feeble attempts only became worse as she went along. Syaoran knew that Sakura wanted to prove that she could do it on her own, but he couldn't bear to see her struggle so much. Her increasing fatigue began to worry him; she was really pushing herself to the limit just to get this right. 

Unable to be the watchful eye any longer, Syaoran stepped forward and made his way to the troubled girl. Sakura didn't even pay notice to him until he began to stack up her wood and carry it to a location near his own shelter. 

"What are you doing!?" 

"I'm going to instruct you on how to build a simple shelter." Syaoran stated, mater-of-factly. 

"But I-" 

"Just watch." 

Giving in to his authoritative voice, Sakura kept a watchful eye on his apt building skills. He certainly was talented for this sort of thing. He expertly strung branches together and strategically placed leaves and extra branches across, to ensure the safety and dryness of the interior. 

"Do you understand now?" Syaoran asked, brushing his earthy hands on his dark pants. 

"H-Hai, I think so." she stammered. 

To her immediate dismay, Syaoran destroyed the newly-built shelter with one swift kick. 

"Why did you-" 

"Now you try to build one." he explained, "And I'll help you along the way." 

With her warrior friend as her teacher and adviser, Sakura constructed a decent birchwood shelter. She smiled appreciatively at him and he gave her a thumbs up. 

"See? It isn't so hard if you learn how to do it first." he told her, giving her a proud pat on the shoulder. 

"Demo...you still had to help me." she replied, downcasting her head. 

"As long as you learned something, it was beneficial." he declared. 

"You're right..." she admitted softly, "I guess I just wanted to be able to accommodate myself, instead of having to depend on someone else." 

"Learning the ropes first IS accommodating yourself." he defended, "You wouldn't succeed if you didn't know how." 

Sakura grinned in his direction. "You're really smart, Li-kun." 

"Nah. Just logical." he amended. 

Sakura yawned tiredly and went to retrieve her sleeping bag from where they had first entered the clearing. "I think I'm going to call it a day." she announced, lying her smooth sleeping along the cool ground. 

Syaoran's eyes widened slightly. "Already?" 

"Hai." she confirmed with another yawn, "Putting together the shelter wiped me out." 

"Alright. Sleep well, Sakura."

His sweet and lulling words comfortingly escorted her to a peaceful dreamland.

The Clow Mistress eyes blinked open slowly, gradually trying to focus in the minimal amount of light. The sky was pitch black and the distinct sound of the chirping crickets could be heard throughout the whole of the forest. It was obviously night.

But had she really slept away the whole day?

Darting upright, and suddenly VERY alert, Sakura squinted into the dim streams of moonlight that filtered through the wood and greenery shield of her fortress/shelter.

Sakura unconsciously tugged her thick blanket closer around herself, shuddering.

****************************************************

*ARRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO* 

'It's just a wolf.' she thought, 'Nothing to get anxious about.' 

Just as she began to calm down and alleviate her worries, the night air erupted into howls, screeches, chattering, growling, scratching, and other horrifyingly unpleasant noises. 

It was music of Nature...Nature's evening song. 

And Sakura didn't like it one bit. She whimpered softly into the darkness, instinctively huddling to one side of the shelter (against the tree) wrapping her shaking arms around her legs for protection. 

'There aren't any creepy things like ghosts in the woods, are there?' 

As she was deliberating and debating the topic within her head, some sort of sound caught her attention. She listened closely, eyes open wide, frozen where she sat. 

Crunching of leaves...coming closer...and closer...a strange buzzing noise...closer...closer... 

"AAAAIIIIIIEEEEEEEEE!!!!" Sakura screamed through the night, "SYAORAN!!! HELP!!!!!!!!!!!" 

That's Chapter one!! ARIGATO AGAIN TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED!! YOU GUYS ARE SO KIND!!!! ^.^ Please review and let me know if I should still continue (I want to, but it's solely up to you, the readers). If you can spare a review, please do! Insight is extremely, heartfeltly (I know, it's not a word), deeply, graciously appreciated! It's important for an author to know what you like about the story and what you don't like, so please tell me what you think! If you have any questions, comments, or would just like an e-mail buddy, please e-mail me at: silent_angel777@hotmail.com 

Chapter 2?? It's up to YOU! ^.^ 

~Manda-chan 


	3. A Fateful Quarrel

Heyla Minna-chan! I'm back with Chapter 2 (gomen to those of you who are waiting for another chapter of "The Forbidden Clow", but I'm still searching for a good idea *sigh* perhaps an interlude to the story??). Sorry that this is so short too, but things have been pretty darn hectic this week. I'll make sure my next chapter is a lot longer. Exams are next week too, so I might not be able to work on my fics a lot, but I'll do what I can. Anyway, thanks to everyone who read my fic, and a special thanks (and hug) to those of you who reviewed. ~Manda-chan

Arigatos: Obiwankatie, Gia, Ruka-chan, Star Princess Meesa, Drak, E.B., Ashley-chan, Fabi-chan, dreamyblue, Yoko, Randi, Jurei, sana, moonstiger2000, *dying from the cliffhanger*, Sara, Katie Marie, Anachia, Yuki Akuma, ., DoubleOevin~*, black_tiger, springblossom_tears, Ultimate CCS fan, Volcan of Dragonfire, and Crystal. THANK YOU!!! *Hugs*

Dedication: This chapter is dedicated to Suppi*chan ^^ Arigato for giving me encouragement for both this and my koishii (*Joeru-kun*) during the chat we had on MSN. I deeply appreciate it! I hope things go well for you at the dance, and well…this is dedicated to you! 

Disclaimer: I don't own CCS. I only borrow the characters to write fanfiction.

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Alone in the Woods Chapter 2: A Fateful Quarrel

Syaoran shot out of his shelter like a bullet, dashing toward his blossom's terrified screams. When he reached the opening of her wooden-roofed bed, her screams had ceased and lowered to a soft sobbing noise.

"Sakura?" he questioned softly, "Daijoubu? What happened?"

"Sy-Syaoran?" she choked out in a whisper.

"Hai, it's me." he answered, entering her little shelter, "Nothing to be afraid of."

Silent, glittering tears streaked down her smooth face, making her cheeks shine in the pale moonlight. "I-I saw a ghost." she sobbed, pulling the blanket more tightly around herself for extra warmth.

"There are no ghosts out here, Sakura. You're safe." he assured.

Sakura suddenly flung herself into him, still breathing in short gasps entangled in the muffled sobs. "I was so scared."

Syaoran's eyes broadened as she cried endlessly against the fabric of his nightshirt. In an awkward gesture, he nervously enfolded her in his strong arms. His attempt to comfort the frightened Clow Mistress was not in vain. Her sobs slowly died away, leaving her clutching to the warrior's shirt. Syaoran soothed her tension as best he could, gently rubbing the small of her back and smoothing out the hair on the back of her head.

"Feeling better?" he asked softly.

Receiving no reply, he looked down on her questioningly; only to find her asleep. He shook his head and smiled. 'Out like a light.'

He made a move to lay her back on the ground, but her hand reached out and grabbed a fistful of his shirt desperately. "Don't go." she mumbled, her jade/emerald eyes pleading with him silently, "Please, just stay with me."

He sighed, giving into her quiet begging, and leaned his back against the tree for better comfort. She in turn leaned her head against his chest, snuggling so close him that a hot blush promptly engulfed his face. 

After she found a suitable position and settled down, Syaoran leaned his head ontop of hers, letting her sweet scent intoxicate his senses until sleep came over him.~

****************************************

The rays of early morning light danced through forest, shedding tidbits of light here and there. Tiny forest creatures scurried about in an early morning frenzy, gathering berries and nuts for their breakfast.

The coming of day can be radiant and refreshing to some, while intruding, agitative and annoying to others. However, on this particular summer dawn, morning was both a welcome and unwelcome sight.

Young Kinomoto Sakura sighed and struggled to open her eyes into the luminance that was slowly dominating the dense area of trees. Something strong and warm was wrapped around her slim waist, pressing her firmly to the rising and falling chest of another living being.

She almost gasped in shock at the remembrance of the previous night. That being holding her ever so gently yet protectively, was none other than the Li Clan's top soldier and future leader Li Syaoran. A bright red shade immediately washed over her face, covering it in a hot, embarrassed blush. 

But she didn't dare move. It felt so perfect to be held by him like this; she had often dreamt of it many times before. She repositioned her head on the cottony fabric of his shirt and squirmed slightly at the feel of his slow and steady breaths caressing the back of her neck.

Sakura was glad it was morning, that much she couldn't deny. The promising beams of sunshine alleviated all her anxiousness from the dark of the night before. She was safe now...in the little wolf's arms. 

That's why she regretted that it was morning. It obviously meant that the male warrior and Card Captor would awaken soon, thus ending the seemingly endless moment. But she wouldn't let go yet. She would embrace this feeling until the very last second she could. Besides, she was kind of, well...stuck for the moment. 

How was she supposed to get to her feet when he was holding her so near to himself, so strongly, so possessively?

She had to smile. 'That sounds like a good enough excuse for me.'

Inhaling his rich, sweet chocolate and cinnamon scent, she quietly drifted back into the comfort of her dreams.~

********************************************************

The unwelcome white shine attacked his face with a fierce purpose, lancing his eyelids with sharp spears of brightness. Yet its strength couldn't hide the gentleness that resided within its motive. It calmly coaxed him, warming his face in a gentle motion and soothing all his negative thoughts away. Giving in, the once-cold amber eyes of the young Li Clan sorcerer opened into the light.

He blinked once, letting his eyes focus on his surroundings, and yawned widely.

Remembrance jolted him like a bolt of crackling lightning. His tired arms were enveloped around the lithe figure of an auburn-haired angel. 

"Sakura..." he realized.

She mumbled something incoherent in her slumber, and snuggled closer to him, nuzzling the front of his shirt with her cheek.

That alone abstained him from moving an inch. To disturb such a simply elegant beauty was unimaginable, thoroughly unthinkable. From the smile she displayed so openly, her dream must have been good. He couldn't bring himself to interrupt such a personification of peace. 

He smirked at the word that popped into his head suddenly. Honor. 'It would be dishonorable to wake the sleeping goddess.' his mind mused, making sport of a word his heritage held at great importance.

No matter how much the sweet rays of morning sunshine begged and pleaded with him to stay awake, he ignored their subtle arguments and closed his eyes once again.

Just as his conscience was reaching a dormant state, the petite Clow Mistress woke again, stretching her arms out on impulse. The sudden movement immediately alerted the Chinese youth back into reality. He quickly disengaged his arms from around her and stood up faster than she could say "hoe".

Sakura sat on the plush, dewy earth, completely dumbfounded about what had just taken place within the past few moments. She squinted into the bright light that showered her eyes, using her right hand as a cover. "Syaoran?" she questioned, blinking into the flickering beams of white sunlight.

"Hai?"

She yawned and sluggishly stood on her feet. "Is it morning already?'

He nodded to affirm her theory.

She groaned at the azure dome of sky and promptly went back inside her shelter, throwing the covers back over her head.

Syaoran frowned and crossed his arms. "Y'know Sakura, it wouldn't hurt for you to get up early for once."

She peeked out from beneath the layers of blankets and simply replied, "It's against my personal morals to get up before noon." before pulling the bulky bedsheets over her face once again.

Syaoran growled in frustration, pulling the sleeves of his shirt up above his elbows. "If you don't get up Sakura, I'll be forced to take action." he warned.

A muffled, incomprehensible reply came through the stacks of blankets. But to Syaoran it sounded like, "Don't even think about it."

Striding to where she laid, a smirk spread across his face, he whipped the blanket off of her with one swift tug.

She opened her eyes at the sudden loss of warmth and glared up at him. "Mou, Syaoran! Give that back!" she demanded.

He dangled the horde of cloth in front of himself. "If you want it so bad, come and get it."

"Iie. Nevermind. I don't need it." She asserted stubbornly, wrapping her small hands around her shoulders and turning away from him.

Syaoran sighed, discarding the pile of blankets on the ground. "So, you're going to be difficult, huh?"

She didn't give him the pleasure of a reply. She merely lay motionless, facing the tree in her shelter.

In an arousing, audacious move, Syaoran swept Sakura right off the ground. Only giving her time for a small gasp of astonishment, he sprinted toward the river.

Sakura began pounding his back with her fists while screeching, "Put me down, Li-kun! What do you think you're doing? I said PUT ME DOWN NOW!!!"

"Whatever you say." came his simple reply, discarding her into the river.

"AAAIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!! SYAORAN, YOU JER-"

***SPLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHH***

After a few moments of silence and a few air bubbles surfacing, Syaoran was overtaken by slight worry. 'Is she alright?' he wondered, peering over the edge of the calm, uncorrupted river.

All too suddenly, Sakura's soaked figure erupted from the water's surface, quickly snagging the front of Syaoran's shirt, and pulling his now off-balance body into the chilly waters.

****

*SPLLLLLLLAAAAAAASSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHH*

Two heads now protruded from the water's clear surface, each smirking at the other with some kind of inside joke. Then Syaoran began to badger Sakura, splishing/splashing little flicks of water at her.

Sakura held up her right hand, to prevent the tidbits of water from getting any closer. "I never knew you could be so annoying, Li-kun!" 

"Well, you're awake now, ne?" 

She mock-frowned at him. "Maybe."

"I guess I'd better make sure." 

"Nani?!"

****

*KERPLUNK*

"You *gasp* jerk! *gasp gasp*That was really *gasp* MEAN!" 

The drenched and dripping Card Mistress languidly made her way out of the river, a soggy Syaoran following close behind. Upon reaching the bank, she climbed out of the icy liquid and tramped off into the woods.

"Where do you think you're going?" Syaoran called from a few feet behind her, "You're soaked to the bone!"

She spun around on her heels, giving him a glare that rivaled his own. "And just WHOSE fault is that?" she challenged, hastily veering back the opposite way and stomping off in the direction of a towering mountain.

"OI!! Wait up!" Syaoran voiced, trying to catch up with her, "Where are you going?" 

Sakura paused and looked over her shoulder, spite present in her eyes. "I'm going for a walk, got a problem with that?" she spat.

"Well I'm coming-"

"No, you're not." she interrupted, none-too-nicely, "I'd rather not get flung into the river again, especially by such a jerk."

Syaoran sighed again, rolling his eyes. "Look, I'm sorry about the river incident. I didn't think you'd take it so…harshly."

"Was I supposed to like it?!"

"No, I just-"

"JA NE. Just toss rocks in the water for a few hours, I'm sure you'll have a ball."

And with that, the young female Card Captor stalked off into the woods, faint mumbles of, "jerk" escaping her lips here and there. 

Syaoran ceased pursuit and perched himself on the ground by the glimmering river, staring into its crystal, lucid depths. 'She can do whatever she wants.' he determined, crossing his arms defiantly, 'I don't care.'

He chucked a stone into the river, cracking its glass-like surface. He would just reside here until she returned, despite the profanities his heart was yelling at him.~

************************************************

Sakura grasped onto the next ledge, hauling herself a little higher up the mountainside. Despite how damp and sodden she was, her petite form was ample enough for this pushover of a mountain. 

It was a lofty mountain, and steep in some places, but there were enough protrusions within the rocky side to make your way to the top with relative ease. Sakura was scaling the mountain for the sole purpose of keeping her mind off of the handsome Chinese warrior. 

But her escapade up the slope was only causing her to think more of Li Syaoran. 

'Maybe I was too harsh on him…' she thought, unconsciously biting her lower lip, 'I'd better apologize to him when I get back.'

Just now realizing how elevated she was, Sakura looked down below, swallowing hard. The sight of her altitude made her dizzy.

"Hoe…" she spoke aloud, her diminutive voice echoing softly around her.

'I was so irritated with Syaoran that I forgot just how much I hate heights!'

************************************************

The once transparent river was now littered with numerous objects, obscuring its reflective surface. Grass lay scattered across the glossy surface, along with weeds, flowers, leaves, twigs, and bits of dusty earth.

Another stone is quickly discarded, rippling the face of the river. Li Syaoran sits on the bank, legs dangling over the edge as he discards nature's possessions into the now-murky liquid. 

'I wonder what Sakura's up to…' he thought, picturing her dazzling smile upon a still-untouched part of the water's surface.

He threw another stone in, annihilating the mental imprint of her face on impact. 'I should apologize to her as soon as she decides to come back here…IF she even does…'

He gazed off in the direction of the monumental peak, furrowing his brows slightly at a sudden odd thought. 'She wouldn't be trying to climb that thing, would she?'

He leaned forward a little more and squinted his amber eyes, almost as if he could see her from where he sat. 'She wouldn't be that crazed, would she? I mean, she hates heights for kami's sake!'

Still staring in the same area, he rose to his feet. 'She wasn't thinking straight.' he thought, 'There's no telling what she might be doing.'

Brushing his pants off, he began to make his way toward the mountain. 'She's been gone for five of six hours already. She should have been back long ago, that is, if she was planning on returning. Otherwise, she could be in trouble.'

Heeding to his last thought, he broke into a run. 'Please, Kami-sama, don't let anything have happened to her.' he prayed.

*************************************************

'Hoe…getting up here was easy, but how do I get down?'

Sakura was hugging the side of the mountain for dear life, squeezing her eyes shut to block the panorama she could clearly see from where she stood. She didn't need to be reminded how high up she was.

'I should have let Syaoran come with.' she thought, her usually high spirits replaced by fear, 'I don't know how I'm going to get down from here.'

Daring a peek down the mountain, she gasped. Surprisingly not because of the altitude, but because of a familiar, unforgettable aura. Green in color, strong and demanding, yet gentle, soothing to the senses…just perfect. 

Li Syaoran, her knight in shining armor, was coming to her rescue!

She silently thanked Kami for stilling her uneasiness and bringing her dashing warrior to her.

Momentarily forgetting her current situation, her whole body relaxed in relief. This caused her still-sleek shoe to slip, and the chunk of jumbled rock and minerals beneath it.

Everything following happened much too quickly for her to register. The sudden loss of footing caught her dangerously off-balance, and her hands dissociated themselves from their protective hold to fix the mistake. 

But it was too late. Clow Card Mistress, Kinomoto Sakura, toppled backward and descended toward the ground…

There's chapter 2. Another cliffhanger! I know, I know, it's evil of me, but I had to do it. Sorry about the shortness, I promise my next chapter will be longer. So, will Syaoran make it in time? You'll have to wait and see. ^.^ I still have to decide what I want to happen. Arigato for the encouragement! I guess I don't really have a lot of self-confidence (and it doesn't help when my brothers break into my private folders and laugh their arses off at my fics…). So…until next time (probably next weekend)! Please continue to review, the encouragement and comments REALLY help! Arigato for your time, please drop me a line sometime (whoa…lots of rhymes…gomen): [silent_angel777@hotmail.com][1] Please e-mail me if you have any questions or comments! Arigato again Minna-san! ~Manda-chan

   [1]: mailto:silent_angel777@hotmail.com



	4. Syaoran's Wish

Konnichiwa Minna-san! Arigato once again to all the reviewers! *hugz* You guys are really great and I thank from the bottom of my heart! 

But please don't kill me yet! I would never let Sakura die (I can imagine how many flames I would get if I did )!!! Besides, how can S+S get together if Sakura is dead?! I could never do something like that (just think of poor Syaoran!)! *whew* I hope that's clear now... Anyway, finals are this week, but I'm sure I'll find time to write somehow (and hopefully have both of my stories updated by Friday night/Saturday morning). 

Also, I'm thinking of doing a kind of 'Sequel' thing on, "The Effects of Chocolate: Syaoran's Wild Side", but I need your input on if I should or not (it's ALL up to you Minna-san, so please let me know!). In the meantime, enjoy the next chapter! Review please, it really helps!! ~Manda-chan

Arigatos: Cherry_Blossom, soil, sana, obiwankatie, Gpilot_04, Suppi*chan, Yuki Akuma, CreatiStar, Michiru, Jen, Anachia (Arigato and I'm glad the story made your day! It makes me feel good to know I added a little sunshine to someone's day with my story!! ^.^), Sakura1301, ashley-chan, April, SAKURAnTOKYO, *blinkblink*, Randi, Katie Marie, Fabi-chan, DoubleOevin~*, Syaoran Kinomoto (Arigato for reviewing all my fics!! ^^), Eternal Haven, E.B (Arigato for being such a great friend! ^.^), Katie, dreamyblue, ukime, Goddess Sakura, Mako-chan, kitten, Stars form Above (Arigato for you strange, yet very encouraging review! But I'm weird, so I really enjoy getting reviews like that!! ^.^ Arigato again!), flag on the moon (you're welcome! I'm glad love the fic! Arigato!), Kyla, Ultimate CCS fan, sword of destiny, ~*~Starlight Princess~*~, Eternal_Phire, Lady Tifa, d, KC's crush, and Leeman (Arigato SO much! Oh kami-sama…I simply can't thank you enough! *blush* I've never been complimented quite like THAT before! =^^=). ARIGATO, ARIGATO, ARIGATO and a million more!!!!!!! ^.^

Dedication: I dedicate this chapter to E.B., my very good friend Aura-chan! ^^ Arigato for reading and reviewing all my fics, giving me encouragement all the way, and for the art projects of Kero-chan and Suppi-chan! Also, arigato for dedicating your fic "Altantis" to me!!(everybody go R&R, because it's very good!) I really appreciate it and I'm glad you're always there to talk to. Thank you! And remember: BAKA/GAKI/KAIJUU ~forever!! ^.^

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the SUGOI and KAWAII characters of CCS. They belong to Clamp, so don't even try to sue me!

****

Alone in the Woods Chapter 3: Syaoran's Wish

He could sense it! His lovely cherry blossom's aura was a disorderly muddled mess! But the jumble of pink was so chaotic that he couldn't fix exactly where it was coming from.

"Damn!" he cursed, looking every which way, "Where IS she!?"

Syaoran was seriously beginning to panic. 'Hold on, Sakura! Whatever's going on, please just let me get there in time!' he pleaded.

He couldn't get a strong sense from any direction; his magic wasn't going to aid him in this one bit. He would have to rely solely on his sight. And if he didn't find her soon, he was afraid of what might happen to her.

'Left...nothing....to the right...nothing....toward the waterfall....nothing....the mountain...NANI???!!!!!!'

Something was plummeting from the mountain, something with a brilliantly irregular pink aura.

That something was the lithe form of Clow Card Mistress Kinomoto Sakura.

*****************************************

Sakura had no clue what to do in her situation. She wasn't an experienced mountain climber or anything, so she didn't know what she could do when facing an emergency like this. 

All she could do was scream.

Somewhere during her fall, she collided with a rocky ledge protruding out from the side of the cliff. She felt the skin on her right leg tear and screeched in pure agony. She was plummeting to fleetly to see straight and her leg felt like it had been incised or severed open with a jagged knife.

'Am I going to die?' she wondered tremulously.

*****************************************

Syaoran was sure that if he were racing with the Dash Card right now, he would leave the little bunny-like animal in the dust. 'Kami, Kami, KAMI! Please let me get there in time, onegai...'

Things weren't looking so well. At the rate she was falling, his legs wouldn't bring him to her point of impact in time.

'Not if I can help it!' he thought. 

Even though his legs were already torrid and numb, he picked up his speed to the maximum he could make his legs pump. He kicked up clouds of dirt and gravel behind him as he sprinted and large amounts of perspiration saturating his dark bangs. 'Kuso!! I didn't see those trees!'

Now he would definitely make it in plenty of time, only the treetops were so thick that he wouldn't be able to see where she would fall from! 

'I've got to have more faith than that!' he self-berated, closing his eyes as he ran into the forested region beneath the mountain, 'C'mon Syaoran, just feel it...you'll know where she's coming from.'

His eyes snapped open suddenly and he dashed about ten feet straight forward, gazing through what little light was spilling through above, and holding his arms out in anticipation...

"AAAAIIIIIIEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!"

*SNIP SNAP RUSSLE RUSSLE* 

'...right on target.'

*THUWUMP*

******************************************

Curious as to where she landed so softly, Sakura opened her eyes. "H-Hoe?" Her eyes went wide at the sight of her savior. "LI-KUN!!!??"

"That was quite a fall." he remarked, "Are you okay?"

"Hai, arigato." she responded, "But....how did you know..?"

He gave her a half smirk. "I had a feeling."

Startling the young Chinese warrior, she folded her arms around his neck. "Arigato, Syaoran-kun. I'm glad you had that feeling."

His amber eyes widened considerably and flushed deep red. "Syaoran-kun?" he questioned, "When did you start calling me that?"

Sakura pulled back and averted her eyes to the forested ground. "Gomen...I just...I don't know. I felt we were getting a little closer."

"Sakura?"

She gradually lifted her eyes back up to meet his. "Hai?"

He offered her a tender smile. "I feel we're getting closer too. And I'd like it a lot if you would call me 'Syaoran'."

Her face brightened into a smile, her cheeks turning a warm pink. "Hontou?"

He nodded. "Really." 

"HANYAAAAAAN!" she sighed blissfully.

"Nani?"

She looked away sheepishly. "Nothing."

"Ready to go back to camp?" he asked, not pressing any further.

"U-Un."

She tried to lower herself from his robust grip, but he grasped her more tightly to himself. "You must still be in shock from your fall, so I'll carry you back."

She ceased her fidgeting and leaned her head against his chest, giving in. "Okay," she sighed, "If you insist. But don't dump me in the river this time!"

"Sorry about that...the look on you face was priceless though."

She kicked the side of his leg with the heel of her right foot. "Mou, Syaoran!"

'ITAIIII!!!!' she thought, as a burning sensation engulfed her right leg. She bit her lip to keep her mouth shut, so as not to worry Syaoran.

"Gomen, Gomen! I was just joking!"

"Jeez, if you keep acting like that, I'll start wondering where you hid the REAL Syaoran."

"You mean this guy?" He glared at her coldly and grunted. 

She giggled girlishly. "Now that's the Syaoran I know!"

The teen Card Captor was astounded. "You liked me BETTER that way?!" 

She smacked his chest with the back of her hand. "No! It was just the only side of you I knew up until now!" she argued.

"I guess you're right. I'm not an open book, like you."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Sakura, the day I met you, I knew what a cheerfully, lively little flower you were. You didn't even try to hide it. When you're happy, you certainly show it, when you're sad, you show it, and when you're angry, it's written all over your face."

"And what about you?" she queried.

He turned his head away. "I've learned to block out those feelings."

"That's not true, Syaoran! I've seen you get mad at Eriol-kun a lot!"

Syaoran blushed. "T-That was a different anger." he stammered.

"Hoe?"

"Nande mo nai." he spoke lamely, shaking away his blush, "We're back."

He let Sakura down from his arms and she sat down in the plush green grass.

He pointed back out into the woods, where the sun was beginning to set. "I'm going to go get some firewood. Do you want to come with?"

She shook her head vigorously. "No, no, you can go ahead. I'm still...uh...feeling kind of dizzy."

He eyed her suspiciously, raising an eyebrow. "Sakura?"

She managed a twitchy smile. "H-Hai?"

"Are you hiding something from me?"

She winced slightly as she tucked her right leg out of sight. "No. Why would I be hiding anything?"

He still wasn't convinced, but let it rest there. "I'll be back shortly." he announced, heading off into the forest.

'Sorry, Syaoran...' Sakura apologized mentally, 'I don't want to stress you out more than I already have.'

Sakura waited until he was out of sight before pulling her legs out from their indian-style embrace and revealing a large, profusely bleeding gouge covering at least half of her right leg (How Syaoran missed that still remains a mystery). 

She stood up shakily, making her way toward the riverbank. "Ow, ow, ow, ouch..." she whimpered. 

Settling herself alongside the shimmering waters, she splashed some of the liquid onto her deep wound, making it erupt like it was consumed by flames. "ITAI!!!" she screamed in a whisper, trying to keep her voice from getting too loud.

She spun around, searching for something to force against the nasty burning slash. A cabbage-like leaf came into sight and she snatched it, wasting no time in pressuring it against her injury.

But no matter what she tried, the gash would continue to bleed, pouring salty red liquid down all sides of her leg.

'I need cloth.' she thought, using her logic, "It can do a better job stopping the bleeding than this greenery can.'

Crawling toward her backpack to fetch one of her less favorite shirts, she heard familiar footsteps approaching.

Syaoran set a bunch of twigs, branches, and a couple logs on the ground. "Here's the firewood." He turned to Sakura, who was still busy trying to get to her backpack. "Sakura....what in the world are you doing?"

'Urk!' Sakura thought, sweat-dropping.

"N-Nothing, Syaoran." she assured, waving her hands in front of her.

He raised an eyebrow, walking a little closer. "Why do you have blood on your hands?"

Sakura thrusted her hands behind her hastily. "I was just...cleaning up a few scratches I got from the trees I fell through." she lied.

"Oh, really? Let me help-"

"NO!" she shouted, making him step back. "I mean, I can do it." she corrected, "You start the fire."

'Something is amiss here...' the male Card Captor thought, using stones and rocks to create a circular shape on the rich earth.

"Sakura, I still have the feeling that you're-WHAT IN THE HELL IS THAT?!?!"

Syaoran didn't waste a precious second in getting to wounded Mistress's aid, shredding off strips of his shirt and immediately bandaging the profound aperture. "HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?! AND WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME!?!" he shouted.

Sakura shrank back from his acrid tone. "I-I hit a ledge on the way down from the mountain." she finally admitted.

Syaoran was fuming. "THAT COULD'VE BEEN INFECTED! DO YOU REALIZE THAT!?"

His acrebity was making her feel very uncomfortable. "Onegai, Syaoran, don't yell at me!" she pouted.

"WELL YOU COULD HAVE AT LEAST TOLD ME!!!" he bellowed, tying the cloth.

Sakura felt her eyes begin to moisten. "I didn't want to worry you any more than I already have, Syaoran." she explained, on the brink of tears, "I wanted to take care of it on my own, instead of hassling you! Onegai, stop! You're scary when you yell!"

Syaoran blinked. "Gomen nasai for hollering like that. I was just really worried about you."

"I don't want to worry you, Syaoran!" Sakura protested.

'There she goes being altruistic again...' the Chinese teen thought, with an inward smile.

"I appreciate your concern, Sakura. But right now, you're MY main concern."

Sakura tilted her head slightly. "Hoe?"

"Let's go sit by the fire."

He helped her up off the grassy floor, letting her lean on him as they approached the circle of rocks. Resting her in front of the soon-to-be fire, he continued his earlier preparations. 

Placing a few twigs and dry sticks in the center of his little hole, Syaoran expertly struck and battered two pieces of flint together, trying to bring a small spark to life from the friction in the collision. Finally hitting the right spot, a spark flew, igniting one of the dry leaves and soon setting all the tiny tidbits aflame. 

Adding a log or two to the concoction, he sat down beside Sakura, gazing into the heart of the fire. Sakura looked over to his silent figure, a smile forming on her lips.

"Syaoran?"

"Hmm...what?" he asked, still staring into the fire.

"Want to play a game?"

Syaoran half-grinned at her childishness. "A game? Aren't we a little old for that?"

"You can never be to old to play games!" Sakura argued.

"Well, what kind of game?" he asked, resting his head in his palm.

"Ano...Like, guess who I am?"

Syaoran examined her as she pointed her index finger up and closed her eyes.

"Did you know that fire originated in an Australian tribe 4000 years ago when-"

"Oh, I get it!" Syaoran interrupted, "You're Yamazaki, ne?"

Sakura nodded. "Hai! Now you try it, Syaoran."

Syaoran thought for a moment, then smirked in Sakura's direction. "Oi! Kaijuu! You're going to be late again! And stay AWAY from that gaki!"

The auburn-haired Clow Mistress was laughing. "You're Ni-chan!! Sugoi, Syaoran, that was just like him!"

Syaoran frowned. "I take that as an insult."

Ignoring his last comment, Sakura launched herself at him, glomping him. This of course took Syaoran completely by surprise and his face became an unhealthy-looking tomato.

"Oh, SYAORAN!" she purred, rubbing against him, "I love you SOOOOOOOO much! Let's go back to Hong Kong and get married! Kinomoto will never bother us again!"

Taking her acting the wrong way, Syaoran felt the blood rush to his head and passed out, falling onto his back.

Sakura panicked and shook him. "Syaoran? Syaoran!?"

His eyes finally opened back up and a little bit of red trickled from his nose. "What....What happened?" he asked, the images in front of him still spinning.

"I did a perfect Meiling impression!" she complained, "And you fell asleep!"

"Oh yeah..." he mumbled, wiping the small dribble from under his nose, "My turn now?"

She nodded in confirmation.

"Okay, see if you can guess this one."

Syaoran leaned one hand against the side of his head, while pretending to hold a video camera in the other. "KAWAII!!!" he squealed girlishly, "Sakura-chan is so kawaii!!!"

Sakura was rolling on the ground with laughter. "SUGOI, Syaoran-kun!! Tomoyo-chan couldn't do it better herself! You're really good at this!"

Syaoran cheeks flared in embarrassment. "I don't really think so..."

"Try and get this one!"

Sakura pretended to stuff food in her mouth, smiling like nothing mattered.

"Tsukishiro!" Syaoran answered, before Sakura even got the chance to speak.

"Mou!" Sakura pouted, "Unfair! You're good at guessing too!"

Syaoran went right on to his next idea, making 'O'-shaped rings around his eyes (for glasses) and smiling diabolically. "Sakura-san-"

"Eriol-kun!" Sakura intersected.

He nodded. "You're not so bad at guessing either."

Sakura grinned. "The smile gave it away."

"Well it wouldn't be Hiiragizawa without that smile."

Sakura nodded in agreement, then started her next impersonation by crossing her arms and glaring at Syaoran. "Baka! And you call yourself a Card Captor!? Let me show you the way it's done! Raiden Shorai!!"

"Enough already!" Syaoran broke in, vexed by her portray of him, "That's nothing like me!"

"How not?" Sakura challenged, placing her hands on her hips.

Syaoran smirked proudly. "You've got to have a colder glare than that!"

Sakura chuckled. "Yeah, you're right. I guess I would need the stoic and emotionless face too."

"I'll give you lessons sometime." he jested, "In the meantime, you'd better be able to figure this one out!"

Syaoran tried to form pretend ears on the top of his head. "I was created by Clow Reed! Aren't I cool-looking? Check out the wings ladies! Pretty impressive, ne? What's that? DID YOU SAY PUDDING?! AND CAKE!?!?"

"You're Kero-chan!"

"Yup, the stuffed animal. Pretty easy, huh?"

"I'll say! Do you think you can guess who this is?"

Sakura put her hands on her hips and illusionized that she was trying to hit someone with a mallet. "Yamazaki!! One more lie and I'll be forced to hurt you!"

"Mihara-san?"

"Sugoi! Not one wrong so far, Syaoran! Oh wait...You didn't get the Meiling one."

"Okay, I've got one last one for you!" Syaoran announced.

Syaoran smiled as wide as he could, then faked a pouty face. "Mou, Syaoran! Stop teasing me! I'm not a klutz! Where did that pole come from?! OH NO!! HOOOOEEEEEEE!!!!!!!"

"I'm really not THAT much of a klutz Syaoran..."

"Not ALL the time." he corrected, "Just the majority."

That comment granted him a punch in the arm.

*****************************************

"Aren't the stars beautiful, Syaoran?"

Syaoran looked up at the crystal-clear night sky, gazing at all the luminating stars and constellations. "Yeah." he agreed, "Beautiful."

"You know what, Syaoran?"

"Nani?"

"They say that if you wish on a shooting star, your wish will come true." she stated.

Syaoran sighed. "That's just superstition."

"I believe in it." Sakura admitted, "Try it, Syaoran. Then see if your wish comes true in the near future."

Syaoran searched the sky, trying to pinpoint where he could find one of the bright stars falling. Suddenly, one flew down along the right side of the midnight dome. 

Syaoran closed his eyes and thought hard. "I wish that I could spend the rest of my life with Sakura,' he wished, 'that she feels the same way about me as I do her.'

"Did you make your wish?" Sakura asked.

He opened his eyes. "Hai."

Sakura gazed back up at the firmament. "I know your wish will come true, Syaoran. I can feel it."

"I hope you're right."

She winked back at him. "You know I am."

Syaoran yawned in exhaustion and sat up. "We ought to hit the sack for the night." he suggested, "I think we've both had a long day."

"Un." she agreed, sauntering tiredly to her shelter, "I just hope that THING, or whatever it was, doesn't come back."

"It won't get past me twice." Syaoran assured, "If it dares to come back again, I'll take care of it."

"Good night." Sakura yawned, cuddling up into the consolation of her sleeping bag.

The young Chinese sorcerer tread to where Sakura laid and bent down to brush her bangs from her face. "Sweet dreams, Sakura." he whispered.

She opened her eyes and smiled up at him. "Syaoran?"

He returned the smile, looking down on her amorously. "Hmmm?"

"Arigato." she spoke softly, "For everything."

He shook his head. "There's no need for thanks, Sakura. Seeing you alive and smiling is more than enough for me." 

"Keep on smiling, Syaoran." she urged, reaching up to run a hand through is disheveled dark mop, "It suits you so much better than a frown."

"As long as you think so." he replied, returning the smile to his features, "Now get some sleep, I'll stay up awhile to keep guard."

"Okay." she breathed, "'Night, Syaoran."

He waited until her eyes began to droop with the heavy drowsiness, before setting himself on the ground next to her, keeping a vigil.

It wasn't until he almost nodded off himself, that he caught sight of something beyond the clearing.

And just as Sakura had explained, it was issuing a buzzing noise. 

He squinted into what little light there was and picked up a tiny flicker of red. 'What in the hell is that?' he thought, his eyes growing wide.

He closed his eyes and rubbed them roughly, to make sure that he wasn't seeing a mirage or an illusion. 

But when his amber eyes looked upon the previous sighting, it had completely vanished. "Must be seeing things." he mumbled, leaning his upper body against the tree, "Need sleep."

And before long, peaceful slumber came.

That concludes Chapter 3 Minna-san! All comments and questions are welcome! If you liked or didn't like the chapter, let me know (and give me some input about what you think of the possible sequel for the other story I mentioned up at the top). Feedback is of great importance to me, it lets me know how I'm doing with the story. Please spare a review, they're eternally appreciated! Arigato!!! ^.^

So, do you think Syaoran was seeing things? Or is there something out there in those woods? I'm not ready to tell yet. He may have just been imagining it, you'll have to wait and see!

Oh yeah! If you have time, please R&R my first songfic, "Forever Yours: Since I Can Remember" I'd really appreciate it!!!

Arigato for reading, flame me if you must (hey, at least it's FEEDBACK ^^;). I should be back next week with another chapter. In the meantime, enjoy the beautiful summer day! ARIGATO MINNA-SAN!!!!! ~Manda-chan ^.^


	5. A Simple Favor for the Savior

Heyla Minna-san! ^^ Here's chapter 4 of "Alone in the Woods". If you guys are having trouble with the big words, (like 'altruistic', which means to worry about others before yourself) then I won't use so many of them anymore. Gomen if they caused you any trouble, but I was just trying to use different words than the same ones over and over again. Anyway, I hope everyone is enjoying their summer! ^.^

**THIS CHAPTER**: It seems everyone figured out who the person lurking in the woods is (I think the red light gave it away). That's okay though, I was expecting a lot of people to figure it out (not that it was hard ^^). But if Tomoyo is here now, is she the only one? Or could there still be something out there? Guess you'll have to find out. ^.^

R&R please! Reviews help greatly! Arigato! ~Manda-chan

**Disclaimer**: Nothing in CCS belongs to me, only the plot and events of the story.

**Arigatos**: I'd like to thank ashley-chan, obiwankatie, Shirono, Jena-su Aquilla, ~*~Starlight Princess~*~, Emiri-chan, ^^, Otaku_Romance, Coral Meeden, Touya-chan, Katie Marie, michelle, Leeman, suppi-chan, SakuraAyanami, Mizzkitty9886, April, Yuki Akuma, DoubleOevin~*, Kyla, Geo, Jurei-chan, ~My Melody~, KC's Crush, E.B., Death, Gia, UnicornHime, Stars from Above, Scented Jade, Marie, andres, Anny, ~Snowflake Angel~, Angeljay, Angel, ~Cutie Blossom~, ying zero, devil, Prodigina, Amanda, Volcan of Dragonfire, ~Sakura Blossom~, and spinel_sun for reviewing chapter 3!! ^.^ 

**Dedication**: This chapter is dedicated to all the reviewers (especially S+S fans, 'cause there's something 'Special' in this chapter ^^)! Arigato to you all! You keep me writing and feeling good about my writing and I thank you ALL deeply and sincerely for that (I've never had a lot of self-confidence ^^;).

****

Alone in the Woods Chapter 4: A Simple Favor for the Savior

The teen Card Captors wasted away the entire morning just lounging around. The outdoors were nice enough, but they weren't very lively or exciting.

"I'm sooooooooooooooooo bored." Sakura whined, laying her back on the grass. 

Syaoran was leaning against his favorite tree, looking out at the rushing river. "We could take a walk or something if you want." he suggested.

"Sounds like more fun than just laying here." she decided, carefully lifting herself up of the grassy earth, so as not to upset her injured leg.

He too got up and headed over to where she stood. "Anyplace in particular you want to go?" 

She shook her head. "Not really. We could just explore the area or something, unless there's someplace you want to go."

"Nah. We'll just go look around."

"Okay." Sakura stepped a few feet, but winced from the slight pain that still inhabited her right leg.

Syaoran held out his hand to her. "Here. Hold my hand so you don't fall." he instructed, "And if your wound starts acting up, let me know and we'll go back."

She nodded with a smile, slowly taking hold of his waiting hand. "Arigato." she spoke softly, a shy blush painting her cheeks.

And so they headed off into the woods together, hand in hand. 

*****************************************

A figure sat perched in a tree, silently watching as the Card Capting duo walked deeper into the forest. It chuckled to itself, making some strange movements with its hands, then it disappeared without a trace.

*****************************************

"Aren't these maple trees pretty, Syaoran-kun?" Sakura asked, pointing above her.

He looked up through the treetops. "Not as pretty as the Cherry blossoms in spring." 'Or anywhere near as pretty as the one I'm with right now.' he added mentally with a slight blush.

"You're right about that." Sakura agreed, "I just love seeing the Cherry trees bloom in spring."

A weird sound (almost like a snap) rang through the trees, startling the young sorceress and warrior. 

All too suddenly, the branches of one of the maples came alive, snatching the lithe Mistress right from where she stood and carrying her up into the tree. 

It all happened too quickly for Syaoran to be able to prevent anything, and he lost his protective clasp over her slender hand. But that wouldn't discourage him. With an amazing leap up to the first branch, he immediately began to climb the tree, in hopes of bringing back the lovely female Card Captor.

Syaoran stopped on his current branch and narrowed his eyes. There was definitely something odd about this whole situation. Since when did trees have a mind of their own? He closed his eyes in concentration for a moment, taking in the surroundings. And that's when he felt it.

Magic. The tree was under the influence of a spell. But who was out here with them? Were they being watched by someone? Or was it even a person?

"AAIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEE!" Sakura screeched from somewhere up above.

Turning his attention back to his purpose, Syaoran leapt up to the next branch, following the voice of the cherry blossom higher and higher through the thick foliage of branches and leaves.

When at last he reached the crown of the tall maple, Sakura was no where in sight. 

He looked around. "Nani?"

"Up here, Syaoran!" came an all too familiar voice from above.

He looked up, and sure enough, there was Kinomoto Sakura dangling in the air. She was suspended above the tree by a few long branches tightly snaked around her body, making it almost impossible for her to move.

Syaoran just stared up at her and the limbs for awhile, trying to decipher a plan or a way to get her down. After a few seconds he didn't really have a breakthrough, but he at least had an idea. "Sakura, are you alright up there?"

She struggled against the vine-like branches but was unable to free herself from their possessive clutch. "I'm okay, but I can't move. And it's got my leg!"

"Hold still, Sakura! I'm coming up!" Syaoran announced.

He released his sword from the pendant around his neck and began to steadily climb one of the branches as if it were a rope, being extra cautious not to accidentally chop it off with his steel blade.

Finally reaching to just below Sakura's feet, he took the sword and gently cut through the leafy branch that entwined around her ankle. It shriveled and fell off, plummeting toward the ground.

'That is some POWERFUL magic.' Syaoran thought, 'I'd better be careful, at least for Sakura's sake.'

The Li Clan's future leader took another swipe with his trusty blade, slicing through another limb that had taken hold of his beloved. It followed suit of the other dead branch and fell to the ground in a shriveled, decaying mess.

Syaoran was about to slash another limb, but was halted before he could complete the swing. Another one of the branches had seraped around his wrist, restraining any further movements of his right arm. He looked down below and spied a few more limbs coming up from the top of the tree. He quickly tried to free the captive arm with his other hand, ripping at the thin bark of limb in an attempt to get it to release him.

But there wasn't enough time. 

Before he could free his wrist from the clutches of the animate limb, the other branches aided it, restraining the young warrior completely.

Sakura watched as Syaoran struggled relentlessly against the power of the vines, but without much luck. "Syaoran, what do we do now?" she questioned, hoping that he had come up with a few ideas.

Syaoran sighed. "I don't know." 

But his spirits were revived at a sudden thought. 'Her legs are free!'

"Sakura!" he shouted, "Try to free yourself! Use your legs!"

Sakura blinked. "My legs?" 

She looked down and noticed that her legs had been disjointed from the branches and were hanging freely. "Okay, but how am I supposed to free myself with just my legs?" she wondered aloud.

'I guess that wasn't such a wise idea.' he thought, a sweat-drop forming on his head.

"Nevermind, forget I said that. Let me see if I can get my arms free, then I think I have an idea!"

Sakura nodded and waited patiently as he tried to rip his arms and hands from the tight grasp of the limbs. Wriggling free seemed impossible, so she wondered exactly what he had planned for this.

Syaoran realized that his neck and head were free, so did the only thing he could think of. Taking a deep breath, he swung his head to the side and bit the branch as hard as he could.

To the Card Captors' astonishment, the limb let go of his right arm completely and began to flail and writhe in some weird sort of pain.

Syaoran smirked. "Bingo!"

With three quick slices of his sword, his entire body was freed from the viney prison. He let himself fall from his current altitude, and landed below on one of the top branches of the tree.

"Sakura! This is the crucial part of my plan!" he explained, "I need to stay perfectly STILL, you got that?"

Sakura nodded slowly. "Yeah, but what for?"

"Just don't move an inch!"

Syaoran grabbed an ofuda and threw it in the air. "GOD OF FIRE, DESCEND!" he commanded.

Right as the ofuda touched the blade, a stable stream of fire roared out from it, traveling up the branch that held the Card Mistress captive.

Sakura panicked. "Syaoran! THIS is your plan?!"

"Just stay still, Sakura!" he ordered, "I've got it under control!"

The fire set the branch aflame instantly, breaking it apart near the bottom of her feet. Sakura, still wrapped up in the branches above, began to plunge down from her height, screaming all the way.

Syaoran acted swiftly, pulling out another ofuda. "GOD OF WIND, DESCEND!" he ordered.

The wind came forth from his sword and rapidly left to retrieve the distressed Sakura before she reached the ground. In the meantime, Syaoran leapt down from the treetop, promptly making his way to the bottom.

When at last he reached the base of the tree, he was relieved to find that Sakura was okay, but just a little...tied up.

"Uh...need some help?" he asked, sweat-dropping.

"Get them off!" Sakura whined, rolling around on the ground.

Syaoran's sweat-drop grew a bit larger. "How am I supposed to get them off of you when you're pattering around like that?"

She ceased her wild frolicking. "G-Gomen. Onegai, just get them off of me!"

Syaoran gently swiped his metal blade across the top of the closest vine, detaching it from around her form. It fell off to the side, smoldering before it finally turned to black ash. The young warrior finished releasing his cherry blossom and helped her up of the forest floor.

He gave her a half-smile. "Well, you don't see that everyday."

Sakura shuddered. "What WAS that?"

Syaoran glanced at the tree. "It's pretty normal looking now, but it had some sort of magic cast upon it."

Sakura blinked. "Magic? But I didn't feel anything."

"You can't sense it unless you're fully focused on it." Syaoran explained, "I didn't notice it right away either."

"Familiar or Unfamiliar?" Sakura questioned.

Syaoran looked over to the tree again. "That's what's odd. I recognize that type of magic, but I can't remember from where."

Sakura turned to the tree and closed her eyes, focusing all of her thoughts on it. It was stained with blue, most likely by someone with a blue aura.

"It's blue." she reported, opening her eyes.

Syaoran nodded. "Yeah, that's what I felt too. Who do you suppose could have done it?"

Sakura stopped and thought for a moment. "Well, I only know of one person with a blue aura."

"And that would be?"

"My Ni-chan. Demo...he can only sense ghosts and things, I don't think he's capable of this high-power magic."

Syaoran grimaced. "You never know. He really hates me, so maybe he decided to pull something like this, but just never told you that he learned the magic."

Sakura shook her head. "No. Ni-chan would never harm me, Syaoran. And he doesn't hate you THAT much."

"Oh yes he does!" Syaoran countered, "Do you remember the 'shovel incident'?"

Sakura chuckled. "That was kind of funny."

"Maybe for you it was, but I was getting packed and pounded into a snowbank!" he argued, "And just because I rang your doorbell! He didn't give me time to say anything at all! He just chucked my into the snow and started pounding me down with your dad's metal shovel!"

Sakura waved him off. "Oh, you were fine. I pulled you out of the snowbank and treated the bump on your head for you. I even made you a cup of cocoa while you warmed up."

He flushed at the recollection. "Yeah, arigato. DEMO, that proves just how much your brother hates me!"

"Let's just go back to camp." Sakura suggested, not wishing to continue the argument any longer, "I think I've seen enough trees for awhile. And I'm getting sort of hungry too."

He sighed and took her hand in his, leading her out of the woods. "I'll keep my magic senses more alert this time." he vowed.

*****************************************

They made it safely out of the forest, though they were both thoroughly wiped out from their earlier fiasco with the maple tree.

"Does ramen sound okay for tonight?" Syaoran questioned, pulling two out from his backpack.

Sakura nodded in assurance. "Hai, that sounds good. Arigato."

The young Li Clan sorcerer made his way to the small circle of rocks and began striking shale pieces together over a pile of dead leaves and pine needles. However, unlike the night before, he couldn't get the rocks to light a spark.

"Kuso!" he cursed, accidentally jamming one of the sharp rocks along the side of his hand.

The slice started to bleed, but he ignored it for the time being. Instead of tending to his small injury, he snatched an ofuda from his pocket and lit the fire with it. 

After placing the ramen to cook, he joined Sakura, who was sitting near the fire. She seemed lost in thought, so he tapped her shoulder. "Hey."

She blinked and turned to look at him. "Nani?"

"I got the ramen started."

"Oh, okay. Arigato again, for everything you did today." 

He smiled sweetly. "No problem at all, Sakura. You'll never be a problem."

She flushed weakly, lowering her head. "I just feel like I'm such a burden to you." she spoke, discouraged, "You've already saved my life twice while we've been out here. I-I guess I feel like I owe you at least SOMETHING."

Syaoran's cheeks flushed and he raised his eyebrows. "Could you do me a very small favor?"

She grabbed his hands. "ANYTHING."

"Then could you-"

"Hold on! You hurt yourself, Syaoran!" Sakura exclaimed, "Wait here for a second, I'll be right back."

Sakura dashed to her knapsack and pulled out a small pink case from the front pocket. Then she quickly returned to where she was seated before and opened up the case. "I always carry this with me." she explained, pulling out a cloth and some clear liquid, "It's no good for large wounds, but it's perfect for the smaller ones."

"But this little knick is harmless." Syaoran argued.

She waved her finger back and forth reprimandingly. "Even the tiniest scratch could get infected, especially out here in this forest." she disputed.

Syaoran sighed and she took his hand and dabbed the cloth over it, removing the excess blood from the surface. Then she took the clear liquid and spattered it on the cloth, carefully caressing it across the wound. "That will keep it from getting infected." she informed, putting the watery substance away and pulling out a little container of gel, "And this stuff may sting a tiny bit, but it'll help your scrape heal."

She cautiously rubbed the gel over the cut, noting by his facial expression that it stung slightly. "Now I'll bandage it and you'll be all set." she said, taking some gauze-like cloth out of the pink case.

She tied it almost expertly around the area between his thumb and index finger, making sure that it was tight enough and that it would hold. When she was finished, she put the rest of the gauze back in the case and dusted her hands approvingly. "There, all done. Does it feel better?"

He tightened his hand into a fist and was amazed that he didn't feel even a tiny jolt of pain. His face reddened and he replied, "Hai, feels like new. Domo arigato, Sakura." 'She's really good at this kind of thing.' he thought, examining his hand.

Sakura smiled. "You're welcome. Now, you had some sort of favor you wanted from me, ne?"

His face turned crimson. "H-Hai, could you...uh...close your eyes?" he requested.

She raised a skeptic eyebrow. "What for?"

He smiled affectionately. "Please, Sakura?"

"Alright." she answered with a sigh, obediently closing her evergreen eyes, "I don't see how this is a favor but-"

Her speech was suddenly cut off as his lips claimed hers in a tender, yet fiery kiss. It took a moment for Sakura to realize what was happening, but when she did, she was shocked. Her eyes snapped open and broadened to the size of saucers. 'THIS is his favor?!' she thought, her heart soaring to the clouds, 'He wanted to kiss me?'

As if to reply to her silent inquisitions, he deepened the kiss and enveloped his arms around her waist, holding her closer to himself.

Sakura still had her eyes open wide in shock, unable to believe that this was really happening. 'Could this mean...? Syaoran doesn't feel THAT way about me, does he?'

Finally realizing that she'd been too stunned to return the gesture, Sakura leaned forward, kissing him back. 

When at last the amorous liplock was broken, each managed a smile to the other. Sakura flushed almost magenta, still feeling his warmth upon her lips. "That was the favor you wanted?" she inticed, her voice small and soft.

He nodded with a blush of his own. "Hai. I-I hope you aren't angry or anything." he stuttered, "I know I should have asked you first."

"I'm not angry, not at all." she assured.

"You're not?"

She cocked her head to the side with a cute smile. "Of course not, Syaoran."

He flushed beet red from head to toe. "R-Really?" he stammered.

"Hai." she confirmed. "Demo...I have a request, Syaoran..." Sakura started.

"Hai?"

She faced the ground, avoiding eye contact with his amber pools. "I know it's not my place to be asking you favors, but...would you kiss me again?"

He lifted her chin, forcing her eyes to meet his. "I was about to ask you the same thing."

Their eyes closed and faces inched towards the other, closer and closer and closer and-

"KAWAII!!!"

Syaoran growled and let go of Sakura, abruptly jumping to his feet and facing a flock of trees. "I KNOW I heard something out there." he hissed, scanning his glare over the area. "COME OUT AND FACE ME, YOU COWARD!!!" he demanded, releasing his sword from the sacred pendant around his neck.

Sakura looked at him and blinked in confusion. "Syaoran? Nanda?" 

He kept surveying the surroundings suspiciously. "I'm not sure, but there was definitely something out there." he confirmed, "I heard it scream something and then run away."

Sakura shuddered involuntarily. "I-I-Is it a g-g-ghost?" she choked.

Syaoran shook his head regretfully. "I really couldn't tell you, Sakura. I doubt it was really a ghost though."

She instinctively wrapped her arms around her shoulders, trembling violently. "Maybe...Maybe we shouldn't have come out here, Syaoran." she near sobbed.

"Nonsense, Sakura. IF there's something out there, I'll take care of it."

Behind Syaoran and Sakura's backs, a wispy blue apparition floated out from the forest, bobbing toward Sakura's shivering form. Still unnoticed by the duo, it drifted silently through the air, coming to a rest directly behind the frightened Mistress of the Clow Cards. 

"Brrr...the wind is cold." Sakura thought, shivering.

The ghostly figure reached and icy hand forward, placing it on Sakura's bare neck. She immediately felt the ice-cold chill, and stifled a scream just long enough to turn around and see the bluish specter give her an evil grin. 

The apparition looked like a young man, but his face was shredded, clothes ripped, and deep gouges lined his arms. He looked like a ghost from some sort of horror movie. 

Sakura's mouth was agape in pure fear, but words failed to leave her throat, leaving her scared stiff. The spirit brushed a faded, torn up hand across her face and that was about as much as the young female Card Captor could take.

"H-H-H-HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!" Sakura shrieked in pure terror (a sound that could probably be heard for miles...).

Syaoran whirled around, ready to battle whatever dared to hurt his cherry blossom. However, the sight that greeted him made him blink in disbelief. 'Is that...?' He looked closer. 'Can that thing really be a ghost?!'

Shaking the ridiculous thoughts from his head, he charged forward at full speed, ready to dice whatever it was to pieces. As he swung the blade down upon the blue being, the flashy steel went right through it. 

Syaoran blinked, thoroughly perplexed. 'It's a REAL ghost?'

*******************************************

A blue-haired figure fell from the branch he was sitting on, roaring with laughter. He landed below with a soft thump, still chuckling lightly to himself.

"Alright, Eriol-kun. That's enough."

Eriol got to his feet and faced the direction from where he heard the voice. There stood Tomoyo Daidouji, camera in hand, frowning at the British boy.

"I was just having a little fun, Tomoyo-san." he replied, adjusting his glasses.

Tomoyo placed her hands on her hips. "Well your 'fun' sent my precious Sakura-chan into a fit of hysterics!" she complained. She pointed in the general vicinity of where Sakura's screams could still be clearly heard. "Go stop that nonsense NOW, Eriol-kun." she ordered, "And no more tricks on them!"

Eriol's face fell. "AWW! But it's so much fun, Tomoyo-san! And the magic ghost is completely harmless!"

Tomoyo glared at him. "And what about the tree?" she questioned.

Eriol sweat-dropped. "It was so perfect though! I couldn't pass up a chance like that."

Tomoyo sighed, allowing a small smile to cross her features. "You're impossible, Eriol-kun."

"And evil." he added with a grin, "Don't forget evil."

Tomoyo waved him off. "Just go and get rid of the ghost."

"No problem." Eriol snapped his fingers. "It's gone."

Tomoyo sighed again, shaking her head. "I still don't know why I bothered bringing you along."

Eriol smirked. "You know how upset I would have been if you left me in England only after one day's visit. And you know how much I hate to be left out of the fun."

"I suppose." Tomoyo said casually, "I guess I need you for the plan to work out."

Eriol smiled. "Ah yes, tell me of your brilliant plan, Tomoyo-san."

"Quite simple." Tomoyo replied, "First of all, I had to explain to Sakura-chan that I wouldn't be able to go camping with her like we had planned. So I told her that I already promised to visit you in England."

Eriol rolled his eyes. "That was a pleasant one-day visit." he cut in.

"Anyway," Tomoyo continued, ignoring his comment, "I had to contact Rika, Chiharu, and Naoko, and request that they turn down Sakura-chan's offer to go camping."

"What did you have to do for them to agree?"

Tomoyo smiled brightly. "Just mention that it had to do with Sakura-chan and Li-kun. Then they happily agreed."

"Knowing you, Tomoyo-san, I thought you would've bribed them with money."

"No need." Tomoyo explained, "Money is a last resort."

"And how did you manage to bribe Li-kun into your plan?" Eriol asked curiously.

"No bribe was needed for that. I knew Sakura-chan would turn to him as her last hope, and I knew that Li-kun wouldn't turn her down."

Eriol raised and eyebrow. "How so? I've known my dear descendant to be a chicken when it comes to Sakura-san."

Tomoyo shook her head. "He may stutter, stammer, and turn beet red, but he's head over heels for her. I can tell. And I knew there was no way he would turn down the chance to be alone with Sakura-chan, ever."

Eriol fiddled with his glasses. "You're very informed, Tomoyo-san. So, how did the rest of it work out?"

Tomoyo went into her 'starry eyes' mode. "I could never miss the opportunity to film my kawaii Sakura-chan, so I came back from England immediately. As it was, I missed almost an ENTIRE DAY of Sakura-chan and Li-kun together!" Her eyes returned to their normal luster. "Demo...Li-kun is definitely catching on to me."

Eriol sweat-dropped. "Maybe because you were taping Sakura-chan in her sleep, therefore the light on your camera could be seen. And besides that, you shouted 'Kawaii' loud enough for the world to hear."

Tomoyo clasped her hands in front of her. "But it was SO kawaii!" she slurred, "The two of them sharing such a kawaii kiss! And I got it on tape!"

"I may never understand the way your mind works, Tomoyo-san." Eriol muttered, shaking his head back and forth.

******************************************

Syaoran tried to shake the stupid thoughts from his mind. 'Ghosts aren't magical.' he reasoned with himself, sensing the phantom's aura, 'So it can't be a real ghost.'

He raised his sword and charged at the specter-like magical being again, preparing to slash it down the middle. Just before his sword came in contact with the apparition, it vanished into thin air. 

Syaoran blinked twice. "It's gone."

He looked around the area, picking up traces of a familiar blue aura. As he was contemplating where it came from, two slim arms glomped his right leg.

He gazed downward, only to meet the teary emerald eyes of his heart's desire. "Are you okay, Sakura?"

She nodded languidly, shutting her eyes tightly. "I'm so scared." she sobbed.

The young warrior bent down and enveloped his arms around her trembling form. "Daijoubu, Sakura." he assured, "It wasn't a real ghost."

She blinked back a fresh wave of tears and pulled back from him to meet his amber eyes. "It wasn't?"

"It was created by magic." Syaoran explained, "By the same person who cast magic upon the maple tree."

Sakura leaned her head against his shoulder. "Arigato for protecting me, Syaoran."

He held her closer to himself. "You know I won't let anything hurt you."

He peered out toward where he had heard the strangely familiar voice. He furrowed his dark eyebrows. 'Whoever you are, you're going to regret your little tricks. And you're going to pay for atogonizing Sakura.' he vowed.

That's the end of chapter four, Minna-san! Sorry that it took so long for me to get this out. It gets really hot in this room in the summer and it's hard to spend a lot of time in here writing. Demo, I'm still surviving, at least for now. I need some motivation though. I'm gonna die in this room...

Arigato for reading! ^.^ Spare a review, ONEGAI (please)!!! I'll try to write when I can, so please be patient! Thanks again for your time! ~Manda-chan


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